Child&#39;s crib, etc.



y 1938. J. w. HARVEY CHILDS CRIB, ETC Filed April 12, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 James WHarve INVENTOR J .I L r BY i I 5 ATTO NEY May 31, 1938. J} HARVEY 2,119,387

CHILDS CRIB, ETC

Filed ApriL 12, 1933 4 sheets-Sheet 2 May 31, 1938. J. w. HARVEY CHILD'S CRIB, ETC

Filed April 12, 1955' 4 Sheets-sheet :5

w v w H w s e m J INVE TOR ORNEY May 31, 1938. J. w. HARVEY 2,119,337

' CHILDS CRIB, ETC

Filed April 12, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 James 14!. Ha r veg,

INVENTOR RKE'Y ATTO 5- 25 ag 26 1 HHHH 11/15 Patented May 31, 1938 UNITED STATES CHILD'S CRIB, ETC.

James Willard Harvey, Winthrop, Maine, assignor to Robert S. Allyn, New York, N. Y.

Application April 12, 1933, Serial No. 665,626

12 Claims.

My invention relates particularly to folding, take-down or knock-down cribs and chairs.

' One object is to construct a crib or chair which has no metal parts.

Another object is to provide a construction which can be made at a reasonable cost and yet is strong and attractive in appearance.

Another object is to form a crib or chair frame of wooden turnings. 1

Another object is to provide a construction which is light in weight and can be folded or knocked down for convenience in shipping, storage and carrying by hand. 1

Another object is to provide a crib which can be used either in the house or out of doors or in an automobile or boat.

Another object is to provide a crib which can be carried on the seat of an automobile or suspended from the roof.

Another object is to provide a construction which can be used either with two legs or four legs.

Another object is to provide a crib which protects the child from drafts.

Another object is to provide a cribin which there is a minimum possibility of injury to the Child. 1

Another object is to provide a crib which will stand steady on uneven surfaces.

Another object is to provide a crib which can also be used as a play pen.

Another object is to provide a sunshade or shield which can be readily collapsed or removed.

Anotherobiect is to provide a spring construction of wood.

Another object is to provide a knock-down chair with a fabric cover which can be readily removed and cleaned.

Another object is to provide a nursery chair for small children.

The article comprises a framework preferably formed of wood burnings and a cover of flexible fabric, which for convenience will be referred to r as canvas. The framework is adapted to be collapsed or folded into a compact space without entirely removing the canvas. The canvas is so constructed as to reinforce the framework as well as serve as the side and walls of the article. This cover is adapted to be removed for repair, cleaning, or replacement.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one form of crib embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 shows the outline of the main canvas for the bottom and sides of the cover.

Fig. 3 shows the outline of one of the end canvas pieces. 1

Fig. 4 is an end view and partial section of the frame, partially separated.

Fig. 5 is an end view showing in dotted lines 5 the side frames folded together- Fig. 6 is a side view and partial section showing a sunshade or shield.

Fig. '7 is a plan view showing a fragment of a spring.

Fig. 8 is a detail plan view of a sectional spring for the crib preferably formed of wood turnings.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary detail showing a bayonet type connection between parts of the corner post.

Fig. 10 is a transverse sectionalview showing a spring forsupporting a. mattress, etc.

Fig. 11 is a detail view of one form of spreader bar.

Fig. 12 is an enlarged sectional view showing the hinge joint between one of. the corner posts 20 and the associated side bar and end bar.

Fig. 13 is a perspective view of a modified form of frame partly assembled.

' Fig. 14 is an end view of the same knocked down. r i

Fig. 15 is a detail sectional view showing an adjusting means for one of the corner posts.

Fig. 16 is a detail showing a slatted structure with a tension member.

Fig. 1'7 is a vertical section and a side view of a chair embodying my invention.

Fig. 18 is a section and front view of the same.

Fig. 19 is a horizontal section and plan of the same.

In the preferred form there is a main upper frame of fixed dimensions having side bars l5, l5, and end bars l6, Hi. The corner posts ll, I1, and l8, it are hinged to these side bars just inside of the end bars by the simple expedient of passing a side bar through the post and securing it in place by an extension l9 which may be pinned or glued or otherwise secured in place. It will be seen that the element l9 constitutes an extension or part of the side bar beyond the corner post. Movement in the other direction is limited by the shoulder 20 (Fig. 12) which may be formed integral with the bar l5 or formed otherwise.

The two posts l1, l1 are connected not only by the upper side bar l5 but by the lower side bar II and may also be connected by an intermediate bar 22, both of the latter bars being permanently secured in the adjacent comer post so that the corner posts are held at fixed distances with respect to each other. I therefore have a main '65 tion and removal.

upper frame of fixed dimensions and two swinging side frames of fixed dimensions, each of the side frames including the upper side bars which are parts of the main upper frame.

The corner posts are held apart by lower end bars 23 which for convenience I will refer to as spreaders. These bars are removable or detachable and may be jointed so as to facilitate inser- For instance, each of these spreaders may be formed in two parts connected by an interiorly threaded sleeve 24, the direction of the threads on the opposite ends being reversed so that by rotating the sleeve in one direction the length of the spreader can be increased and by rotating the sleeve in the opposite direction the length may be decreased.

The upper ends of the corner posts at each end of the crib are connected by a brace consisting of an upper end bar or crossbar 25 and extension post members 26. Each of these post extensions is provided with a socket 21 to fit over the end of a stud or projection 28 on the upper end of the corner post. This brace, therefore, serves to hold the upper ends of the corner'posts at fixed distances.

I preferably provide extension legs 30 which are detachably connected to the lower ends of the corner posts, for instance, by means of a screw threaded extension 3| on the lower end of the corner post which extends into a threaded socket in the upper end of the leg. By this means the body of the crib framework can be supported at any height desired, depending upon the length of the legs and their adjustment.

It should be understood, of course, that the legs might be provided with anti-friction bearings or casters if desired (not shown).

The bottom and sides of the framework are preferably enclosed by afabric cover preferably of canvas, duck, or the like, which for convenience will be termed canvas. This canvas may be formed of one or more parts, for instance, of three pieces, a main portion 32 and two end portions 33, which may be formed separately for economical reasons, and sewed or otherwise secured together.

The central portion of the main web constitutes the bottom of the crib and the side extensions 34, 34 form the closed sides of the crib. The edges 35, 35 are adapted to be secured to the upper side bars |5, |5, preferably in a detachable manner as for instance by means of snap fasteners, buttons or other attachment devices 36. These fastening devices may be adjustable or a number of them may be provided so that the fabric can be stretched tight around the lower side bars 2|, 2| and around the upper side bars l5, l5 either inside or outside of the intermediate bars 22, 22.

The adjacent edges 31 and 38 of the main web and the end pieces are secured together and the edges 39 and 40 are secured together around the corner posts, leaving an opening or hole 4| for the lower end of each corner post which is thus embraced by the canvas.

' If it is desired to have the canvas covering removable the side walls must either fit outside of thebars 22 or the upper portions of the edges 39 and 40 must be left open and provided with a button or fastening device 42'so as to permit the upper part of the side section to be inserted between the bars 2| and 22. The upper edge 43 of each end piece is secured to the cross-bar 25 of the brace member so that the cover is stretched endwise from one crossbar 25 to the other beneath the spreaders 23.

By this arrangement although the various joints of the frame do not need to be especially tight the canvas cover embraces the upper and lower side and end bars as well as the corner posts so that the parts are firmly held, although because of the flexibility of the canvas and the resiliency of the wood there is considerable leeway for automatic adjustment of the joints so that the frame will stand steadily although on uneven ground.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the crib can be used with four legs or without the four legs for convenience in carrying or if it is desired to place the crib on a bed or table in the manner of a basinette. Two of the legs at one end can be removed and the crib set up in an automobile with the remaining two legs resting on the floor and the two corner posts resting on the seat.

The crib can also be readily suspended from any overhead support in the manner of a hammock by attaching straps or chains, for instance, to the side bars adjacent the corner posts. The canvas sides may be provided with loops 44 or pockets for convenient storage of various articles. The end bars l6 constitute convenient means for hanging towels, etc.

When it is desired to fold up and stow away the crib the spreader bars 23 .are removed so as to release the tension on the ends of the canvas cover, thus permitting the end braces with the post 1 extensions 26 to be lifted enough to disengage the sockets 21 from the studs 28. These braces may then be laid down on the upper side bars IS. The corner posts and side frames can then be swung around the side bars into the position shown in Fig. 5. The parts may, of course, be set up in reverse order.

In some cases it may be desirable to use a set of springs such as 46. Such springs will have end bars 41 which may be sprung between the lower side bars 2| adjacent the corner posts and serve as spreaders to hold the side frames from folding inwardly. It will be understood, of course, that pressure upon the bottom web 32 either directly or through the springs tends to increase the drawing-in tension of the canvas cover and thus hold the side frames snugly in place.

In Fig. 8 the springs consist of sections connected by a cord 48. Each section consists of side bars 49 connected by resilient cross bars 49'. The side bars 49 rest on the canvas near the side bars 2| and the cord passes through the side bars 49 so that the spring is flexible and adapts itself to the body and permits the springs to be rolled up with the canvas or mattress or folded for shipping.

The ends of the crossbars 49 are set into the side bars 49 beyond the center and glued and bored at the same time as the side bars so that the cord may pass through the ends of the crossbars, preventing them from pulling loose from the crossbars in case they become unglued.

It will be seen that the canvas side and end walls furnish protection against drafts of air. The sides may, however, be provided with holes for ventilation if desired.

In some cases it is desirable to have a sunshade or shield over one end or both ends of the crib. Such a shield may conveniently consist of a U-shaped frame hinged to one of the spreader bars 23 and a suitable shelter top 59.

'spreaders 23 so that the frame can be folded down into the bottom of the crib or removed with the spreader bar. In fact, the side bars may be simply slipped onto the ends of the spreader bar so that the frame can be entirely. removed if desired. The canvas top 50 is fastened to the crossbar 52 and extends over the brace bar 25 and is detachably connected to the end bar l6. Side curtains such as 53 may be provided if desired.

It will be understood, of course, that a mattress of any suitable type may be employed. In the modification shown in Figs. 13 and 14 the fixed frame consists of side bars 60, 60, end

bars 6|, 6| and corner posts 62, 62, all permanently connected together. The side frames in this case consist of corner posts 63, 63 with one or more connectingside bars such as 64 and 65. Removable spreader bars 66 are provided between the lower ends of the corner posts. The post sections 62 and 63 are provided withtelescopic stud and socket connections to hold the respective parts in alignment. It will be understood that the canvas covering is secured on this framework in a manner similar to the one previously described.

The upper edges of the canvas will be connected preferably to the side bars 60, 60 and the end bars 6|, 6| and fit around the corner posts and the lower bars 65, 65, and 66, 66 so as to hold the parts together.

If desired extensible means of connection between the post sections 62 and 63 may be provided so as to make it possible to stretch the canvas. Such an extensible joint maybe effected by means of a threaded insert 61 between the members 62 and 63 as shown in Fig. 15. By turning this section one way or the other the upper section of the corner post may be raised or lowered.

It should be understood that the canvas may be ornamented in any desired manner and that any suitable fabric either of close or open meshwork may be employed, depending upon whether it is desired to prevent drafts or ventilate the sides. In fact, the cover may be of perforated material or portions might be made of strips so long as sufiicient strength is provided for tieing the side bars and end bars together and drawing the lower side bars against the Spreaders. Such a construction avoids the possibility of accidental collapse and provides no openings into which a child might thrust its head.

In the construction shown in Fig. 16, the corner'posts l1 and I8 are detachably connected at their upper ends as in Fig. 1 by a bar 25 and post sections 26. The lower ends of the posts l1 and I8 are held apart by the detachable spreader bar 54 and drawn together by a rod 55 which has a knob 55' at one end and is threaded at 55" to screw into the post l8. 1

In such a construction the canvas body may be omitted and the top bar 25 held down by tie rods 56 through which the spreader 54 and draw rod 55 extend. The end of the crib may be closed 'by upright rods or slats 51 which connect the.

top bar 25 and the spreader 54. The sides may be closed by upright rods or. slats 59 which connect the lower side bar 2| and the intermediate bar 22'.

In the form of spreader shown in Fig. 11 the part 23' is fixed in or formed as a part of one end of the body portion 24', the opposite end of which has a semi-cylindrical groove terminating in a socket to receive the ball-like end of the toggle member 23". This forms a. hinge-like connection which makes it possible to insert the spreader and provide an expanding toggle action which is locked by simply rotating the central part 24' a half turn. The outer ends of the parts 23' and 23", of course, fit in sockets or recesses l1 and I8 in the corner posts in the same manner as the form shown in Fig. 4. A knob or projection 68 may be provided to fit in a hole 68' in the canvas to prevent accidental rotation and release of the spreader. The parts of the spreader may be additionally held by a slip ring or clip 69.

In place of the screw threaded connection of the leg 36 and corner post I1, I may provide a bayonet type joint with a groove 3| and a pin 30 as shown in Fig. 9. This greatly expedites the attachment and detachment of the legs.

While the invention in its preferred form contemplates the combination of the wooden framework and the canvas covering, it should be understood that some of the advantages of the invention may be attained by the use of the framework together with a spring for forming the bottom of the crib, in which event the upper brace members might be held down by means of straps or other suitable devices.

While a crib isnormally of greater length than width, it should be understood that the article may be of the same length as width or even greater width than length, so that the terms ends and sides are interchangeable. Actually the article has four sides, two of which are for convenience in distinction called ends.

It should also be understood that while I prefer to provide leg extensions for the corner posts so as to support the crib in an elevated position these leg extensions might be entirely omitted and the crib used as a play pen.

While the crib is intended primarily for babies it may be used in the smaller sizes for dolls and in larger sizes for children.

The chair shown in Figs. 17, 18., and 19 embodies some of the features of the crib of Fig. but the frame is inverted. The lower part of fixed relation consists of corner posts 10, 10, and H, H connected respectively by the rear bar 12,

' the front bar 13 and side bars l4, 14. The rear corner post sections 15, I5 are connected to the front corner post sections '16, 16 by the side bars 11, I1, and l8, 18 forming side frames. The sections such as and 10 are detachably connected by plug and socket parts I9 and 80. The upper ends of the back posts 15, 15 are connected by a crossbar 8| and corner post extensions 82 which detachably fit the upper ends of the posts 15, I5. Suitable spreaders 83 and 84 are interposed between the corner posts for the same purpose as the spreader 23 of Fig. 4 and the spreader 66 of Fig. 13.

The canvas cover consists of a strip 90 having its ends detachably secured to the bars 12 and I3 by looped fastenings 9| and 92 and a cross cover 93 with its ends,94, 95 secured detachably to the side bars 14, H.

These two strips 90 and 93 are preferably secured together across the top to form the seat of the chair and the edges are united or connected together at 96 around the corner posts to hold the-posts together. The main web preferably has a central opening 91 to receive a receptacle and straps 98 to support the receptacle with itsusual flange resting around the edge of the opening. A cover flap 99 may be provided if desired so as to completely conceal the receptacle, and fastened at I00 to the seat.

The arms 18 are preferably removable to facilitate the removal of the canvas cover but it should be understood that the two strips of canvas and 93 might be detachably connected together so that they could be removed without taking out the arms I8.

I preferably provide a canvas back llll, also secured at to the seat at or near the rear and passed over the top bar BI and connected, for instance, by straps I02 to the buckles I03 on the flap 9| so that the back and seat can be stretched at the same time.

It will be seen that the side bars and frames correspond with the side bars and frames of the crib and that the front and back bars correspond with the end bars of the crib and that the canvas holds the parts together in the same general way as in the crib.

As the canvas embraces not only the side and end bars but also the corner posts, the parts are securely held together even when the glue in the joints works loose. A very satisfactory construction can be made in this way without the use of nails, screws or hardware fittings of any kind.

I claim:

1. A folding crib frame having corner posts, side bars extending through the posts and forming hinges therefor to permit swinging the corner posts on the side bars, end bars connecting the ends of the side bars outside of the corner posts, removable cross members for connecting the upper and lower ends of the corner posts at the ends of the crib and side bars connecting the lower ends of the corner posts along the sides of the crib.

2. A crib comprising an upper frame having upper side bars and upper end bars, corner posts pivoted on the ends of the side bars, lower 1 side bars connecting the lower ends of the respective corner posts, removable lower spreader bars at the ends of the crib between adjacent corner posts, removable tie members at the ends of the crib connecting the upper ends of adjacent corner posts, and a fabric covering stretched beneath the lower side bars and the spreader bars and having sides secured to the upper side bars and ends secured to the tie members.

3. A knock-down chair comprising a frame having corner posts and side and cross bars, a detachable back section having post members and a connecting bar, said corner posts and post members having socket connections, and a canvas cover stretched around the comer posts and the side and cross bars of the frame and connected to the connecting bar of the detachable section to hold the parts together a part of the canvas cover forming a seat for the chair.

4. A piece of furniture for supporting a person comprising front and back corner posts, side and front and back bars connecting the lower ends of the respective posts, a top bar connecting the upper ends of the back posts, other bars forming a seat frame, a cover stretched over the seat frame and secured to the said lower bars, said cover having a receptacle opening in the center with means for supporting a receptacle therein, and a back member connected to the seat and stretched over the top bar.

5. A furniture frame including two corner posts with a lower bar connecting the lower ends of the posts, means including a bar connecting other portions of the posts and a connecting member having corner pieces connected by a cross bar, said corner pieces and said comer posts having sockets and dowel parts permitting a sliding application of the corner pieces to the corner posts and a canvas member connected to the cross bar and passing around the lower bar and connected to another part of the frame and holding the connecting member in place on the corner posts.

6. A frame for supporting a person, said frame having corner posts at the front and rear, means for connecting the respective posts including bars between the lower ends, a connecting member having a cross bar and post extensions mounted on the ends of the cross bar, said post extensions and the upper ends of the rear corner posts having interfitting parts and a cover including a portion for supporting the weight of a person with side members connected to the lower bars and a back member connecting the cross bar to the seat member and holding the connecting member in place.

'7. Furniture framework comprising four corner posts, two lower side bars connecting respective corner posts, upper side bars connecting respective corner posts; end bars, means for connecting the upper ends of the corner posts at each end of the framework to said end bars, spreaders interposed between respective corner posts adjacent the points where the lower side bars are connected to the corner posts, a connecting member at one end at least of the framework comprising corner members and a cross bar connecting the corner member, each corner member and a corresponding corner post having cooperating stud and socket portions permitting them to be readily connected and separated, and a canvas cover forming a bottom, sides and ends and connected to the upper side bars and to the cross bar and to another bar at the opposite end of the framework and passing beneath the lower side bars and the spreaders and holding the parts of the framework together.

8. Furniture framework comprising a permanently assembled rectangular frame having up- -per side bars and end bars and corner members at right angles to the planes of the side and end bars, a corner member extension for each corner member and having a stud and socket connection therewith, a cross bar connecting adjacent corner member extensions, a spreader connecting corner membersbeneath each cross bar, lower side bars connecting corner members, and a canvas cover forming the bottom, sides and ends connected to certain parts and holding other parts together.

9. A frame of the character described comprising, oppositely disposed upper side bars with connecting end bars, corner posts pivoted to the side bars between the end bars, lower side bars connecting the respective corner posts beneath the upper side bars, and detachable means for connecting the opposite posts above and below the side bars.

10. In a folding crib, side bars having corner posts hinged thereto and adapted to swing in planes perpendicular to the direction of the length of the side bars, end bars holding the ends of saidside bars at fixed distances from each other,"means drawing the lower ends of the posts at one side of the crib toward the posts at the other side of the crib, spreaders limiting the inward movement of the lower ends of the posts, detachable brace members each consisting of corner post sections and a cross bar connecting 2,119,887 the upper ends of opposite posts at the ends of the crib, and detachable means engaging the brace members and the spreaders at each end of the crib.

11. In a construction of the character described, a rectangular framework including at least two corner posts, detachable means for holding the lower ends apart at a predetermined distance, a brace member detachably connecting the upper ends of the posts, said brace member consisting of two extension corner members and a cross bar connecting said corner members, said corner posts and. corner members having socket and dowel means of interconnection andv means connecting the cross bar and the means for holding the lower ends apart and thereby holding the brace member in position, said framework having oppositely disposed side bars, said cross bar lying in a plane substantially above the plane of the side bars.

12. A framework for child's furniture including two pairs of corner posts, upper and lower side bars connecting a post of each pair with a post of the other pair, upper and lower bars connecting the posts of the respective pairs, the posts of at least one pair having projecting studs on their upper ends, a connecting member comprising a cross bar with a corner piece mounted on each end thereof, each corner piece having a socket fitting one of the aforementioned studs, said cross bar lying in a plane substantially above I the plane of the upper side bars, and a canvas cover connected to said cross bar and stretched beneath the various lower bars and connected to other bars and holding the parts together.

JAMES WILLARD HARVEY. 

